Learn to Endure Tough Situations

The reason some people fail is not because their challenges are too great for them, but because they give up too soon. They haven't learnt to endure a situation or stick with a process till they win. They lack what I call “stickability.” In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he wrote “…I've… been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once…" (2 Corinthians 11:23-25 MSG).

In spite of all this, he said, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24). Boy, was he tough! His faith in God didn't waver, and he was never one to give up. That’s a great quality God has deposited in your spirit, and He expects you to develop it. He doesn’t want you turning tail and fleeing at the slightest sign of trouble. This was why Paul told Timothy to be tough as a good soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3).

You might be facing persecution at home or in school; don't complain or throw in the towel. Challenges don't come to destroy you, but to promote you. So be excited when you face one. It's an opportunity for your endurance to grow, and when it’s fully developed, it’ll produce in you a strong character that’s ready for anything and can handle any situation (James 1:3-4).